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Human light pollution could be changing the behavior of New Zealand's critically threatened long-tailed bat and locking it out of foraging areas.
Research carried out near New Zealand's Hamilton detected the bats less frequently, and about two hours later, in areas with LED floodlighting compared to dark areas, according to a study published Wednesday in the New Zealand Journal of Zoology.
The expanding urban areas could more frequently expose native bats to light pollution and prevent them from getting to food, said researchers from the University of Waikato, University of Auckland, and Plant and Food Research.
Closeup of a New Zealand's long-tailed bat. /Photo courtesy to Department of Conservation in New Zealand
Artificial light at night is considered a growing threat to bat species due to its potential impacts on circadian cycles, increased predation risk and avoidance behavior, the study said.
Changes in the number of nightly detections in response to periodic illumination were measured in the study using acoustic monitoring and compared to a nearby unlit control site.
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Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466